A/N: Oh my gosh! This chapter literally took FOREVER to write. I'm not kidding! So sorry it's been so long since I've updated, I just couldn't finish this chapter last week, and I've been working on it for a month! And, I think the ending is a bit rushed...sorry.
Anyways, Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything that belongs to Rick Riordan. So, basically, I don't own anything. Period.
~~PercyJackson~~
"Who wants to read next?" Chris asked, drawing Annabeth and Percy from their little exchange.
"I will," Clarisse said, accepting the book from her boyfriend. Now that that chapter was done, she figured she was safe for a while. At least the pounding in her head was gone.
"I'm offered a Quest," Clarisse read.
"You've been there less than a week," Persephone exclaimed.
"Seems to be the pattern then," Frank muttered. Hazel snorted.
"And I thought Chiron wasn't letting anyone go on quests," Poseidon said. He really didn't want his son to leave the safety of camp. Especially not so soon after arriving there. He hadn't even had very much training! Of course, how safe was the camp if Percy was being attacked by hellhounds?
"Things change," Clarisse said with a shrug. "Now shut up so I can read."
Persephone and Poseidon pursed their lips at being told to shut up by a demigod, but Clarisse plowed ahead with the reading, ignoring their looks of annoyance.
The next morning, ... to anybody else.
"That would be so cool!" Leo said.
"Yeah! It'd be awesome!" Travis, Connor, Chris, and Will agreed.
"Trust me, it's not," Thalia said. Jason and Nico nodded.
"Oh, come on, it can't be that bad," Travis said.
"I mean, you get to set your own schedule," Connor said.
"Do what you want," Chris added.
"It's awesome," they repeated.
"It's absolutely miserable," Jason corrected.
Clarisse snorted.
"What?" Jason asked.
Shaking her head, she read the next line.
And I was absolutely miserable.
The gods, Connor, Travis, Chris, Will, and Leo all frowned.
"But why?" Apollo asked. He was starting to really like his uncle's son and didn't want him to be miserable.
"It explains if you just listen," Clarisse said. She was beginning to wonder why she had volunteered to read, getting interrupted so much was getting annoying. And she hadn't even finished the first page.
Just when I'd started ... some rare disease.
"Okay, I have to admit that would suck," Leo said, thinking about his bunkmates. He enjoyed spending time with them, having someone to talk to, someone to sit with at dinner. Being singled out and ignored would just suck.
Nobody mentioned ... been considered safe.
Poseidon felt guilty. It was his fault that his son had to go through that, go through feeling singled out, and knowing that monsters would stop at nothing to kill him.
But then he looked up at his son and saw him smiling, laughing at something Annabeth had just whispered in his ear while Thalia, Grover, and Nico rolled their eyes at them. The other demigods were grinning at the young couple and the whole atmosphere around them was happy, caring, and fun. His son was obviously accepted now and had many good friends.
He caught himself wondering what his son had done to gain the loyalty of all those around him, and realized he was going to find out while reading these books. Hopefully.
The other campers ... Fifty more repetitions."
"He really did push you hard," Annabeth said. She had never realized how lonely Percy had been after being claimed. And it didn't sound like Luke had really helped in that respect. Not that he made it worse, but instead of offering advice and comfort, he continued to push Percy, and push him hard.
"Yeah, but it was good for me," Percy said with a shrug.
"Course it was," Ares growled. "Only way to improve is to practice."
And at least he's getting some training in before his quest, Poseidon thought.
Annabeth still ... between the eyes.
"Sorry," Annabeth said as everyone stared at her. She had been pretty much inseparable from Percy from the moment she tackled him when they got here, and it was weird to learn she had been so rude to him in the beginning.
Percy laughed, causing everyone to frown at him.
"If I'd been offended by every person who ignored me or got mad at me, well, I would have been offended a lot," Percy said.
"Still," Annabeth said. "I should have acted better."
"Yeah," Thalia said. She had thought that Annabeth, if anyone, would know what it was like to be singled out because of who your parent was. After all, she had spent enough time with Thalia to know that.
"Well, if it makes you feel better, I forgive you," Percy said lightly.
"Thanks," Annabeth said.
After lessons, ... make a plan …"
Annabeth blushed at that. "I didn't know you could hear me."
"Half the camp could hear you," Connor said.
"And the other half of camp knew you were thinking it," Travis put in.
Even Clarisse ... than be ignored.
"Well, you coulda said so," Clarisse said. "I woulda been happy to pound you into the pavement everyday had I known you wanted it."
"Yeah, next time, I'll just tell you to come beat me up cause I'm bored," Percy said.
Clarisse grinned. "Glad we've come to this understanding.
"That's more like it," Ares grinned.
I knew somebody ... around on the page.
"Wait, what newspaper?" Grover asked. He wished he had been there more for Percy during that time, but his duties elsewhere had kept him busy. Now he felt like a horrible friend for abandoning Percy when Percy so obviously felt left out.
Percy scowled, remembering that paper. Annabeth frowned at him; he had never mentioned a story in a paper.
"Probably Luke," Thalia said so only Nico and Grover heard. They nodded in agreement.
Clarisse adopted a scowl of her own as she read on.
BOY AND MOTHER STILL ... violent tendencies in the past.
"More like he had the violent tendencies," Percy spat out, causing everyone to raise their eyebrows at him.
"Percy, you said he only hit you once," Annabeth said, narrowing her eyes at her boyfriend. If he had lied about that, well, she would find a way to undo Smelly Gabe being turned to stone so she could make him suffer. Slowly.
Poseidon growled deep in his throat, wishing this wasn't a dream and he could go give that pig a piece of his mind about how he had treated his son.
"He only hit me once," Percy said, but his voice betrayed his anger and everyone got the feeling they were missing something.
"Did he…well," Piper began, but was unable to finish. The thought that Smelly Gabe had done worse to Percy than simply hitting him was not a pleasant thought, and she found she was too cowardly to ask. Too cowardly to want to know.
Annabeth swallowed against the catch in her throat, feeling sick at the idea Piper had brought to mind. Poseidon held his trident in a white knuckled grip and Apollo and Hermes looked ready to tear someone's throat out.
Percy forced a small smile. "No," he answered Piper's unspoken question. The tension in the room lessened slightly.
"What was it then?" Hera asked, morbidly curious. This man was a repulsive human being who should not have been blessed with a marriage, and even though she did not like demigods, she did not believe any child or wife should have to suffer with a man such as that.
Everyone glanced at Percy as his face darkened, causing quite a few people and gods to shudder.
"Let's just read," Percy said. No one dared to argue with him, especially not with the floor shuddering beneath them.
Police would not ... in black marker.
"Are they, they can't seriously be suggesting you were the cause of your mother's disappearance, can they?" Hermes shouted, causing everyone to jump as his voice broke through the tense atmosphere.
"I believe that was exactly what they were implying," Poseidon said.
Apollo was pretty sure he would snap his trident in half if his grip tightened any more. Getting up, he walked over to his uncle, hoping he wasn't about to get blasted.
"Uncle P, let's just put that down, shall we?" Apollo said, standing in front of Poseidon and pointing to his trident. Poseidon glanced down and seemed to realize how tight his grip was. With a sigh, he settled his trident into the place where fishing poles normally went and relaxed back into his seat, eyes resting on his son.
Apollo sighed in relief and sat back down on his own throne. Percy glanced at him and offered him a small smile in gratitude. Apollo nodded.
Athena, who had been about to point out that technically Percy was responsible for his mother's disappearance, held her tongue. After all, the way it was implied made it sound as if Percy had kidnapped or killed his mother, when that was obviously not the truth.
"Definitely sent to him by Luke," Nico whispered to Thalia, feeling angry on behalf of Percy. Thalia nodded, sparking slightly as she thought of the article. Too bad she had never met Gabe.
I wadded up ... worst dream yet.
"I hate my dreams," Percy said, although he was glad that the whole debacle with the paper was over. There was a reason he hadn't told anyone about it.
"We all do," the demigods, Grover, and Rachel (minus Jason, Piper, and Leo) chorused.
"And yours always seem to be worse than anyone else's," Annabeth pointed out.
"That's interesting," Apollo said, wondering why that was.
"No, that sucks," Hermes corrected. Apollo had to nod in agreement.
I was running ... hills in the distance.
"California?" Jason asked.
Percy nodded.
"Why are you dreaming about California?" Poseidon asked.
"I bet it has something to do with him," Demeter said, glaring at Hades.
"Why me?" Hades asked.
"Because you live there!" Demeter threw a handful of cereal at him. "And you drag my daughter there every year!"
"Mother, are you ever going to let that go?" Persephone sighed.
"Not likely," Hades muttered.
Clarisse shook her head and, ignoring the gods' bickering, continued to read.
About a hundred ... the wind rose.
"You guys are really mad," Apollo said cheerfully.
"Like, really, really mad," Hermes added.
"But why?" Athena asked, frustrated. All she could figure was that it had to do with the solstice, and she hated not knowing what was going on.
Zeus glared at Poseidon. "I bet it's your fault," he decided.
"Why would it be my fault?" Poseidon asked.
"Because you're the trouble maker, the rule breaker," Zeus explained.
"That's rich, coming from you," Hades said.
"What's that mean?" Zeus asked.
"Just that you're the one who broke the oath first," Poseidon said innocently. "And yet you get mad at me."
"Don't you dare," Zeus said.
"I'm reading here," Clarisse growled. Ignoring all the shocked stares, she continued to do just that.
I had to stop ... uselessly in the sand.
"Dude, I hate it when that happens," Leo said.
"Does it happen often to you then?" Piper asked.
"All the time," Leo said. "And just when I'm about to get my hands on a new thermonuclear reactor or the secret recipe for coke."
Travis and Connor grinned. "We could steal that recipe," they said.
"No," Katie said. "No corporate espionage for you."
"Aww," Hermes complained.
Over the roar ... Give it back!
"Like the children they are," Hera sniffed.
"I'll agree with you there, sister," Demeter said.
"Give what back?" Athena asked. "What's been stolen?"
The demigods shared a looked, but didn't say. Not like they could anyways.
Like a kindergartner fighting over a toy.
"Looks like you're not the only ones to think them childish, sister," Hestia said, smiling.
"I can't believe I had similar thoughts to a demigod," Hera said, horrified.
"They're not all bad," Demeter smiled at Katie.
"I can't believe Hera and I thought something similar," Percy said, shuddering.
The waves got ... Stop fighting!
"Yeah, stop fighting," Hades said. "It's starting to get really old after all these years."
"It's not my fault he stole something," Zeus accused, pointing at Poseidon.
"I would never!" Poseidon said.
"I would," Hermes said at the same time Hera said "Except for when we did."
"Regardless, this fighting is ridiculous," Hades said.
The ground shook. ... Come down!
"Apparently you don't think so then," Apollo said.
"That does not sound like my Lord," Persephone said.
"Who else could it be?" Hermes asked.
"Don't say it," Zeus said when Athena opened her mouth.
"If he's already is denying it, this is going to be fun," Percy said to the demigods.
Annabeth shook her head, but she agreed. Why did the gods have such a hard time accepting the truth?
The sand split ... swallowed me.
The demigods shuddered.
"You're right, your dreams stink," Leo said.
Piper was thinking the same thing, but she had had some doozies herself.
"They get worse," Percy scowled.
"Worse?" Hazel asked. She had thought her memories were bad, but this made her shudder.
I woke up, sure I was falling.
"Hate that feeling," every demigod muttered. Rachel and Grover nodded in agreement. They might not have demigod dreams, but they had had similar experiences in their nightmares.
I was still ... let him tell you."
"You better not do anything," Poseidon growled at Dionysus.
"Not like I could, even if I wanted to," Dionysus said, turning a page of his magazine. His hands shook slightly though. He did not want to be on Poseidon's bad side.
"Unfortunately, harming a child is against his restrictions," Zeus said.
"Unfortunately?" Thalia said, glaring at her father.
"I mean, uh, fortunately," Zeus corrected.
"You had it right the first time," Hera muttered.
"Why did we even help her?" Leo whisper asked Jason and Piper.
"Because, unfortunately, we needed to," Jason replied. He was beginning to understand why Annabeth had been so adamant that there was no way she was going to help Hera.
Nervously, I got dressed ... me just to be alive.
"It is," Athena said bluntly.
"It would be better to just incinerate you and be done with it," Hades said.
"Yeah, so much better," Nico said, glaring at his father. Hades shifted uncomfortably under his son's glare. He hadn't really thought that Nico would stick up for Poseidon's son over his own father, but it seemed Nico was good friends with the boy.
Thalia snorted, thinking about it. "Yeah, soooo much better," she said. "After all, I'd still be a tree."
"I'd be stuck in the Lotus Hotel," Nico chimed in.
"The rest of us would be dead," Grover added.
"And the whole world would be thrown in chaos," Annabeth finished.
Percy shifted uncomfortably. "I didn't do that much, guys," he said.
"Keep telling yourself that," Thalia snorted.
"What are you whispering about?" Jason asked. He had to admit it wasn't fair that Thalia seemed to be closer to Percy than to her own brother, and he didn't like all their secret little conversations.
"We would all like to know that," Zeus said, glaring at the group.
"Spoilers," Thalia grinned.
"You're not River Song!" Apollo shouted at Thalia.
"Who?" Demeter asked as most others in the room looked confused.
"From Doctor Who, duh," Artemis said, surprising them all, except for Hermes and Apollo.
"I love that show," Hermes said happily.
"We are still on for our marathon this Saturday, are we not?" Artemis asked.
"Of course, sis," Apollo grinned.
"Don't call me sis," Artemis said. "And I look forward to it."
"So that's where she goes," Thalia muttered.
"What?" Zeus asked.
"Nothing," Thalia replied. "So, the three of you watch Doctor Who, whatever it is."
"Yes, it is the only time I can stand my brother's presence," Artemis said.
"And it's only the best show in the universe," Apollo declared.
"I've never heard of it," Poseidon said.
"It's British," Hermes explained.
"The British have good T.V. shows," Poseidon nodded. "I'm particularly fond of Sherlock."
"You watch Sherlock?" Athena said, surprised.
"Of course," Poseidon said. "Why?"
"No reason," Athena muttered, looking down. She was fond of Sherlock too.
"Well, everyone knows Merlin is the best British show," Zeus declared.
"You only like it because King Arthur was based off a son of yours," Hades said.
"And yet you watch it too," Zeus countered.
"Did any of you realize the gods watched so much T.V.?" Leo asked, watching the discussion bounce around the throne room.
Everyone shook their heads.
"Do you know any of these shows?" Annabeth asked.
"No," Grover, Percy, Thalia, Jason, Chris, Connor, Travis, Clarisse, Will, and Hazel all shook their heads.
"You don't know any of them?" Leo asked, eyes wide.
"Demigods and technology don't mix too well," Annabeth explained.
"We're lucky if we can catch the occasional movie in theaters," Thalia said.
"I guess I hadn't realized how out of the loop you become at camp," Piper said.
"Me either," Leo and Frank said at the same time. Hazel looked between the two, feeling strange. Leo reminded her so much of Sammy and what they had had, but Frank was the one to cause her heart to flip flop like crazy, even when she told it she did not think of him like that.
"But, Annabeth, you have that laptop," Piper said.
"It's special," Annabeth said.
"How?" Hephaestus asked, intrigued. If there was technology out there that didn't go completely haywire when used by demigods, and wasn't made by him or his children, well, he wanted to know about it.
Annabeth just shrugged hopelessly.
"Well, we need to get you all some T.V.s and what not so you can watch all these awesome shows," Apollo declared.
"I can help with that," Hermes said.
"Cool," Leo grinned.
"And we're reading," Clarisse said.
The other gods ... deliver their verdict.
"Yes, because we all spend all day debating what to do with demigods," Hera said, rolling her eyes.
"Actually, in cases like this, we do," Aphrodite pointed out.
Everyone blinked at her and Athena's mouth might have hung open slightly.
"What?" Aphrodite demanded. "I'm not a dumb blonde. In fact," Aphrodite shook her hair out, causing it to darken to auburn and go curly. "I'm not blonde at all."
Over Long Island Sound, ... edges of the valley.
"I've never seen it rain there," Nico said.
"Of course not," Dionysus said. "We only get the weather we want."
"That's pretty cool," Hazel said as Frank nodded in agreement.
"It's nice, too, to eat under the open sky," Rachel said.
But this storm, this one was huge.
"That shouldn't matter," Zeus said. "It'll still pass around you."
Those who had been there that day frowned. All of them knew this storm would most definitely not pass around camp.
At the volleyball pit, ... "Our little celebrity."
"Why do you say it like that? It's not like he choose to be," Apollo said.
"And he's not exactly a celebrity if everyone is avoiding him," Hermes added.
Dionysus shrugged. "I haven't said it yet," he said.
I waited.
"For probably the only time in your life," Annabeth said.
"Hey, I had to try it once," Percy said, grinning at her.
"Oh you," she playfully smacked his arm before settling against him once more.
"Come closer," ... your father."
"What's with everyone calling me old Barnacle-Beard?" Poseidon asked.
"Cause you're the sea god, Uncle P," Apollo said.
"And barnacle's are in the sea," Hermes said.
"Pretty sure Hermes shoulda been your twin," Artemis mumbled to Apollo. It was eerie how alike they could think.
"Yes, but old?" Poseidon asked, eyebrow raised.
Zeus snorted. "You are old."
"You're not far behind me, Thunder Pants," Poseidon said.
"Ooooh, that's a new one," Zeus replied. "It take you three thousand years to think up?"
"It only takes you that long to come up with an insult, Happy Zappy," Hades said.
"Boys," Hera exclaimed. "Quiet now, or do you want your children to run off again as you fight like two year olds?"
The Big Three grumbled and settled into their seats as the demigods worked at hiding smiles. Once she was sure she wouldn't laugh out loud, Clarisse began to read again, ignoring the snickers from the younger gods.
A net of lightning ... blah," Dionysus said.
"Excuse me?" Zeus said, glaring at his son.
"Please, like you are doing anything but grumbling just cause," Poseidon said.
"My thoughts exactly," Dionysus said, hiding behind his wine magazine to avoid his father's glare.
"I do not think father is in a mood to be trifled with in the book, if the weather is any indication," Athena pointed out.
"And yet, do I care?" Dionysus asked.
Ares grinned. Maybe he had underestimated his little brother all these years.
"You should," Hera sniffed, glaring at Dionysus.
Clarisse rolled her eyes, really regretting her decision to read now.
Chiron feigned interest ... safe from harm."
"Spontaneous combustion is a form of harm," Athena informed Dionysus.
"Nonsense, he wouldn't feel a thing. Harm would include pain."
"Cause that's so much better," Poseidon said, glaring at Dionysus. If he harmed his son in any way, the wine god would regret ever being born.
"Spontaneous combustion is a form of harm, Mr. D," Chiron put in.
"Wow, Athena, you think like Chiron," Hermes said.
"Given that the children seem to think he is a great teacher, I will take that as a compliment," Athena replied.
"Nonsense," Dionysus said. "Boy wouldn't feel a thing.
"And you don't change much, do you?" Apollo laughed at Dionysus.
"It's called believing in something," Dionysus said. "Generally, as a rule, your opinions don't change."
Nevertheless, I've ... to your father."
"Only if you want to spend the rest of your immortal existence as a shrimp," Poseidon growled.
"Do not threaten my son, brother," Zeus growled.
"Then he better stop threatening mine," Poseidon replied.
"I am so confused," Piper said. "One minute they'll be agreeing on something, the next they'll be threatening each other, the next, they'll be standing up for each other. Whose side are they on?"
"Whichever side they feel inclined to be on at the moment, I suppose," Annabeth replied.
"Mr. D-" Chiron warned. ... it's deadly foolishness."
"Sounds about right for us," Leo said cheerfully.
"Basically," Jason agreed.
The gods frowned at their children.
Dionysus rose, ... emergency meeting.
"Must be serious if you get to escape your punishment for a while," Apollo said.
"He did say emergency meeting," Artemis rolled her eyes.
"Are we finally going to figure out what is going on?" Athena asked.
"You mean you haven't figured it out yet," Poseidon mock gasped.
"No one else has, either," Athena glared at him.
"Why did Hypnos have to include them?" Annabeth groaned.
"To torture us," Percy said.
"Like the wish's payment isn't enough?" Leo asked.
"Mental torture," Jason groaned.
"And probably also for those of us not reliving anything," Rachel put in.
"But hey," Apollo grinned, having heard their discussion. "At least we're being tortured too."
"Yeah, it's torture having to listen to the brats whine all the time," Ares grunted.
"That's not what I meant," Apollo frowned at his older brother.
If the boy is ... feels you must do."
"At least we've already established he's not smart," Thalia said, causing the others to laugh.
"Hey," Percy protested.
"Well, you were gone when I got back, weren't you?" Dionysus pointed out.
Dionysus picked up a ... he hadn't gotten to use.
"Didn't want to lose again, eh?" Apollo said.
"Oh, please don't tell me you've decided you like to speak like a Canadian," Artemis shuddered.
"What's wrong with Canadians?" Frank asked.
"Nothing, eh?" Apollo grinned while Artemis huffed in annoyance.
"We don't speak like that," Frank pointed out.
"But it's fun, eh?" Apollo replied. "Anyways, why you leave before Chiron could win, eh?"
Frank shook his head. "We do not speak like that," he sighed.
"I was called to a very important emergency meeting," Dionysus said.
"And you just didn't want to lose again, eh?" Hermes said, grinning.
"Oh no," Artemis shook her head. Frank felt the same way.
"Tell me, Percy," ... hellhounds for breakfast.
"I doubt that's what he wanted you to say," Chris pointed out.
"That, and those things terrify me," Will shuddered.
"Wimp," Clarisse said.
"Like you could take on a hellhound yourself, no sweat," Katie said, making everyone jump. They had forgotten she was there, she had been so quiet. From the looks of her hair, she had fallen asleep on Travis's shoulder.
"Nope, but we can feed one breakfast," Nico said happily, thinking of Mrs. O'Leary.
Those who didn't know Percy's pet hellhound stared at him.
Percy grinned. He missed his dog.
But I didn't feel like lying.
"Hmm, I suppose lying is not always the answer," Hermes said.
Hera's mouth dropped open as she stared at him. "Did you, could you repeat that?" she asked.
"Nope," Hermes said. "Don't know what I said."
"That's a lie," Demeter said.
"Or is it?" Hermes replied, eyes twinkling.
"It scared me," ... before you're done."
"Way to be inspiring," Jason said.
"Chiron isn't inspiring, he's just truthful," Annabeth said.
"Can't he be both?" Leo asked.
"No," Travis, Connor, and Chris said.
"Where would be the fun in that?" Clarisse asked.
Several of the gods' and goddess' eyebrows raised at this. They had thought that Chiron was a good teacher, given the children's praise of him, but how good could he be if he didn't inspire the young heroes?
Then again, what did they know of their children's lives? After all, they were forced to stay out of them…For the most part.
"Done with what?"
"Your quest, of course. Will you accept it?"
"He doesn't even know what it is," Hazel pointed out.
"Yeah, there's a reason for that, princess," Clarisse said.
"Stuff it, Boar Head," Nico hissed at Clarisse, mad at the way she was talking to his sister.
If anyone else noticed his biting tones, they chose not to mention it. The demigods because most either knew or had figured out who Hazel was, and the gods because those smart enough to realize who Hazel and Nico were did not want another all out fight breaking out.
"Chiron probably wasn't telling Percy because he was worried Percy wouldn't go on the quest if he knew what he was agreeing to," Nico explained to Hazel.
"That's comforting," Poseidon said, frowning. Of course, with him and his idiotic brothers fighting, it was only too obvious that whatever his son did would be dangerous.
"Not exactly," Percy said. "But it worked out."
I glanced at Grover, ... were boiling together.
"You guys are like, really mad at each other," Apollo said, glancing between his father and his uncle.
"Sounds like a nice slug fest is going to break out," Ares grinned.
"That is not a good thing," Athena said.
"Nonsense, it would be awesome," Ares said.
"No, it wouldn't," Hades said, pinching the bridge of his nose. He could just imagine how backed up the underworld would become if there was another war between his brothers.
Said brothers looked at him oddly. "You wouldn't want us fighting?" Poseidon asked.
"Of course not," snapped Hades.
"Why?" Zeus asked. "It would swell your own ranks, make you more powerful."
"Why do you all believe that?" Hades shouted. "I have enough people for my 'ranks' thank you very much. I don't need more flooding in than I already have. I would rather stop death than watch you war."
"Well, he did threaten it," Percy muttered to Annabeth, who nodded.
Poseidon and Zeus looked stunned at this, not quite sure what to think of what their older brother had just declared.
Clarisse decided she had had enough of this discussion, and before anything else could be said on the matter, she began to read.
"Poseidon and Zeus," ... aren't they?"
Thalia and Nico fell of the couch they were sitting on, making exaggerated motions as they pressed the backs of their hands to their foreheads.
"What's wrong with you two?" Apollo asked, preparing to go over and make sure they were alright.
"Percy," Thalia gasped out, barely containing giggles.
"He figured something out," Nico finished before both burst into laughter.
Apollo grinned as Artemis narrowed her eyes at Thalia. She had thought the girl had more sense than she was currently showing. She had thought the girl might make a good hunter one day. Perhaps she was wrong.
"Hahaha," Percy grumbled, slouching on his couch, arm still around Annabeth's waist. Those who didn't know Percy well would think he was upset by this teasing, but his friends could see the light of mischief in his eyes, and they shuddered, knowing that Thalia and Nico had it coming for them.
And knowing no one would ever see it coming.
Chiron and Grover exchanged ... knew it," Grover said.
"Knew what?" Leo asked.
"That Percy was dreaming about his quest," Piper answered, rolling her eyes. "Come on, don't tell me you didn't dream about ours?"
"Oh," Leo said, remembering his own dreams. He hadn't realized at the time that he was having them because he was the one meant for the quest, but he supposed that was why. It only made sense that other demigods went through the same thing – dreaming about the quest they were about to undertake.
"Hush, satyr," ... "It must be!"
"It must be!" Connor squealed in a high, girlish voice.
"It's his quest!" Travis added before they dissolved into snickers.
Grover folded his arms and scowled at him. "I did not sound like that."
Percy wisely kept his mouth shut, although secretly he wanted to point out that yes, Grover had.
"But you do sound excited for it," Rachel pointed out.
"Looks like Annabeth isn't the only one who wants to get out of dodge," Chris said.
"I wanted my searcher's license," Grover huffed. "And the only way to get it was go on a quest with Percy."
"We know, we know," Will said as the Hermes' boys dissolved into laughter. "They just like teasing you is all."
"You make it too easy, punk," Clarisse growled.
Grover shook his head, still pink in the cheeks as the daughter of Ares continued to read.
"Only the Oracle ... quarrel in centuries.
"That's not good," the brothers stated frowning at each other.
"A house divided is a house easily felled," Hestia said quietly as she stared into the coals.
"Huh?" Connor, Travis, Chris, Will, and Leo all looked confused.
"She means that they would be easier to overthrow if they spent their energy fighting one another," Annabeth said, smiling at the goddess of the hearth.
"Oh, that's why they all needed to-" Travis said, but was unable to continue.
"Why we all needed to what?" Athena asked, leaning forward.
"Nothing," Connor said, shaking his head.
All the gods sighed. They had a feeling they weren't going to like this.
"Can we find out what was stolen yet?" Ares whined.
"I was just getting there," Clarisse said.
They are fighting ... a lightning bolt."
"WHAT!?" Zeus asked, rising from his chair as thunder shook the throne room. Lightning flashed and sizzled through the room, causing several gods and demigods alike to jump. "You DARE steal my master bolt?" Zeus demanded of Poseidon.
"Calm down, brother," Poseidon said. "I wouldn't dream of it."
"You've done it before," Zeus rumbled angrily as he reached back and gripped his master bolt. "I would not put it past you to do it again."
"And I'm telling you that it was not me," Poseidon said, standing and holding his trident. The other gods tensed, prepared to take sides if necessary. "You would know that had you been paying attention."
"I have been paying attention!" Zeus roared.
"Come on, fight, fight fight," Ares mumbled under his breath.
"How did we not see it was him in the beginning?" Annabeth whispered.
Percy shrugged and debated the merits of getting up to stop this fight.
"You never pay attention unless something is about you!" Poseidon snapped. "Talk about drama queen!"
"Says the man who hides in his palace under the sea," Zeus shot back.
"SILENCE!"
Everyone turned to stare at the Queen of the Gods and she stood before her throne, hands on hips.
"I will not see my family fight over a silly book that may or may not have events that happen," she continued when she had everyone's attention.
"She acts like it might not happen," Annabeth whispered. "Which is impossible, seeing as it already has."
"Sorry," Zeus and Poseidon muttered, settling down and looking sufficiently cowed.
"Now, we will listen to this book and hopefully we will be through with it soon so we can all get on with our lives. Read, girl," Hera demanded.
Clarisse glared at Hera, but thought better of angering the queen just then.
I laughed nervously. ... god-level explosives." "Oh."
"That's right, boy," Zeus growled, clutching his master bolt. "This is no toy and no play school prop."
"It's no zigzag either," Jason murmured, thinking about the statues of Zeus he had seen where he clutched a zigzag lightning bolt.
"That's what you meant when you said it didn't look like that," Hazel said, remembering that strange comment Percy had made when they went to talk to Octavian.
"Yeah, I guess I remembered what it looked like," Percy said. "Subconsciously, at least."
"Remembered?" Poseidon asked as all the gods glanced at the children, confused.
The demigods shrugged.
"Things are a little, well, crazy," Thalia said.
"Screwed up," Connor added.
"Wonky," Travis put in.
"Horrible," Piper, Hazel, and Annabeth spoke together before grinning at each other.
"To put it lightly," Percy said cheerfully as the Greeks frowned at the thought that he was, in all reality, still missing.
None of the gods knew what to say to this. Luckily, they were spared from having to comment as Clarisse began reading once more.
"Zeus's master bolt," ... look like firecrackers."
"That's…impressive," Hazel squeaked.
"Impressive?" Ares asked. "It's the greatest weapon in the world."
Zeus narrowed his eyes at his son. "Which is why it belongs to me," he said.
"And good riddance," Poseidon said. "That things a headache and a half. I prefer my trident. Much easier to handle. Plus, you can fish with it."
"Well, my Helm of Darkness is better than either of your pitiful items of power," Hades declared.
"No way!" both Zeus and Poseidon shouted, glaring at their elder brother.
"Way," Nico said quietly, and grinned.
"So not true," Thalia and Percy said as Hades, Zeus, and Poseidon continued the same argument as to what was better.
"What part of 'sheared the top off Mount Etna' don't you understand," Thalia said, getting to her feet. "Clearly the master bolt is the best." She folded her arms as though that ended the argument.
"You wish," Percy said, also getting to his feet. He wouldn't let Thalia tower over him. "I've seen my dad hook a massive sea serpent."
"What does fishing have to do with anything?" Nico asked. He was the shortest of the three, but he didn't care as he went toe to toe with the others. The air crackled with power around the three demigods. Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades, who were basically saying the same things, also stood facing each other, the air sizzling with their own power.
"It's because it was the best he could come up with," Thalia taunted.
"Oh yeah? Does the Hudson ring a bell?" Percy asked.
"Does toppling Kronos from his throne ring one?" Thalia shot back.
"And yet neither item can raise an all-powerful army and spread fear among all in its presence," Nico said.
"How lame is that? It's not even a weapon," Percy and Thalia shot back. "Hey, don't agree with me."
"Should we stop them?" Grover asked Annabeth nervously. The other demigods turned to her as well. She was, after all, their default leader.
"I don't want to get in the middle of that," Annabeth said. "Do you?"
"Wimp," Clarisse hissed, although she made no move to stop the fighting either. While the gods couldn't hurt them, they still didn't know if they could hurt each other. It was, in all possibility, very likely.
The ground rumbled, the lights went out, and lightning ripped through the sky, giving birth to thunder.
"Definitely don't want to get in the middle of that," Rachel said.
"It is getting a little out of hand," Jason said.
"Why aren't you joining in?" Chris asked, curious. "Zeus is your dad, after all. In a way."
Jason shrugged. "We Romans have better discipline than that. Besides, everyone knows the master bolt is the best."
"Say. That. Again," Percy and Nico turned on Jason, eyes blazing.
"I said," Jason began, but before he could say more, flames erupted around the fighting gods and demigods.
Silence fell abruptly in the room as the lightning died, the ground stood still, and the darkness gave way to light.
"What have I said about fighting?" Hestia asked mildly.
Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Percy, Thalia, Nico, and Jason all looked down, ashamed.
"Now," Hestia said, settling beside the hearth once more as the flames around the throne room died down. "Let's continue reading. Clarisse, if you please?"
Clarisse nodded, any goddess who could stop those idiots from fighting had her respect, and began to read once more.
"And it's missing?" ... a teacher. "By you."
There was a flash of light, the sharp crack of thunder, and everyone blinked spots from their eyes.
"Ow," Percy said, causing all eyes to turn to him. He and Annabeth, who had been cuddling on a couch of their own, were now sitting on the floor in a pile of ashes. Immune to being blasted by the gods they might be, the couches, however, were not.
"Wise Girl, your elbow's in my spleen," Percy gasped out as they tried to untangle themselves and get to the feet.
"Your spleen's on the other side, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth snapped back, but removed the offending limb.
"Does that really matter?" Percy demanded as he tried to move a leg and ended up kicking Annabeth in the head.
"Ow, watch it," Annabeth cried out. "And of course it matters, anatomy's important." Annabeth finally managed to get to her feet, only to stand on Percy's hand.
"Hey," Percy yelped, pulling his hand away and causing Annabeth to fall on him once more. "My spleen."
"Yes, that would be your spleen," Annabeth said, rolling off him.
"That was the same side!"
"Was not!"
"Was too!"
"Not!"
"Too!"
"Not!"
"Too!"
The gods and demigods stared as this was taking place, the look of rage on Zeus's face melting into one of incredulity as the two teens bickered and fought and struggled to untangle themselves.
Poseidon, furious that Zeus had once again tried to kill his son, was soon fighting hard not to laugh.
Athena was also furious at Zeus, her daughter had been on that couch after all. Now she was barely restraining herself from attempting to zap the two herself. Honestly, it was disgraceful how they were rolling around on the ground together. And how could her daughter like someone she seemed so intent on fighting at the same time? It didn't make sense, and Athena did not like when things didn't make sense.
Aphrodite grinned as she watched the young lovers bicker. The other gods simply watched, stunned, as the teens continued to shout back and forth in a useless argument.
Apollo, Hermes, and the demigods, on the other hand, were laughing hysterically as they watched Annabeth elbow Percy in the gut, Percy kick Annabeth in the head, and the two go tumbling down once more when Annabeth stepped on Percy's hand. Most had slithered right off their seats to practically roll on the floor themselves.
"And they're dating?" Jason asked, incredulous. Despite the affection they had shown earlier to each other, he couldn't see how they stood each other they way they were bickering right now.
"Yeah," Thalia said between gasps of laughter.
"This is their flirting," Nico managed to get out.
"Was too!"
"Was not!" Annabeth shouted, red faced as they kneeled across from each other.
Percy grinned and leaned forward, pressing his lips to hers. "Alright, you win," he said as he pulled back.
Annabeth smiled, but wasn't quite sure if she truly had won that argument.
Neither teen seemed the least bit upset that the couch they had been sitting on had been blasted to smithereens, nor did either seem particularly bothered that they were now covered in couch ashes. Percy clambered to his feet, offering his hand to Annabeth and pulling her up. Annabeth pecked him on the cheek, whispered something in his ear, then sat between Rachel and Thalia.
Percy grinned, brushed some ash from his clothes, and plopped himself between Hazel and Frank, throwing an arm over their shoulders.
Hazel blushed, but Percy didn't seem to notice, he still had his goofy looking grin in place. Nico, sitting on the other side of Hazel, felt relieved. He hadn't liked having Frank so close to his sister. He knew Percy would never try anything with her, so it didn't matter if he sat beside her.
There was an awkward silence as the group tried to remember what had brought about the scene that had played out before them. And then Athena and Poseidon rounded on Zeus.
"You tried to kill my son!" Poseidon shouted at the same time Athena shouted: "You blasted that couch with my daughter still on it!"
"He STOLE my master bolt!" Zeus defended, trying not the cringe at the glares he was receiving from his brother and daughter.
"As if the punk could accomplish such a task," Ares scoffed.
"He is right, father," Athena put in, allowing her logic and reason to take over and cool her temper. "And there is no evidence in the book that he has done such a thing."
"Chiron just said he did," Zeus raged. "Besides, he could just be a really good actor."
"We're reading his thoughts," Poseidon pointed out.
"Yes, but," Zeus began.
"And he had no idea we would be reading such thoughts," Poseidon continued.
"But," Zeus said again.
"You've lost dear," Hera said. "Just let it go."
"Very well," Zeus conceded with as much dignity and pride as he could muster. "Let us read on and find out who truly stole my bolt."
"Finally," Clarisse muttered as she opened the book back up.
My mouth fell open.
"More evidence he didn't do it," Athena said.
"Of course he didn't," Poseidon said. "My son is no thief." Poseidon turned to grin at Percy.
"Hmmm," Percy hummed, slouching slightly as he remembered the multiple times he had taken something. Including the grand theft auto he had committed on his way to Camp Jupiter.
"There's nothing wrong with theft," Hermes pouted.
"Of course there is," all the gods and goddesses bar Ares and Apollo declared. The demigods looked at each other. They had all had times when stealing was the only option they had had.
"At least"-Chiron ... sea disasters,' et cetera.
"That's not nonsense," Zeus said.
"And sea disasters are more spectacular," Poseidon said.
"Are not!"
"Are too!"
"Not!"
"Too!"
"Not!"
"Too!"
"Oh gods, we didn't sound like that, did we?" Annabeth asked, sinking lower in her seat between Thalia and Rachel.
"You sure did," Thalia said cheerfully.
"Not!"
"Too!"
"Who cares!" Persephone cried out, out of patience with the brothers. Poseidon and Zeus hrumphed, crossing their arms and pouting while Clarisse took the opportunity to continue reading. She felt she'd held this book for much too long, and they weren't even half way through the chapter.
Afterward, Zeus realized ... human hero to take it."
"Of course you did," Zeus glared at Poseidon.
"And I'm telling you I would never!"
Zeus sniffed. "I don't believe you. You were always jealous of my powers."
"I like my powers just fine, thank you," Poseidon said. "Hades was the one who was always jealous."
"Don't you dare bring me into this," Hades growled. "What would I gain from stealing the master bolt?"
"Power?" both younger brothers said.
"Or war," Ares grinned.
"I have all the power I want," Hades said. "And I do NOT want war."
"Shows how much you know," Ares said.
"Well, if it was neither of you, than who was it?" Zeus demanded.
"We will have to read to find out, I suppose," Athena sighed when no answer was forthcoming.
"But I didn't-" ... he has found his thief."
"It's sound logic," Zeus declared.
"There's nothing sound about it," Poseidon said. "What would I want with a bunch of lightning bolts?"
"To take over as king of the gods," Zeus said.
"Like I'd want that headache?" Poseidon said. "I'm quite pleased with my kingdom. I'm finally putting the finishing touches on my game room. No way would I want to move now."
Zeus narrowed his eyes, but Hera placed a hand on his arm. "Enough," she said. "This is a silly book. Let us just read it."
"But I've never even been to Olympus! Zeus is crazy!"
Everyone but Annabeth, Grover, Thalia, and Nico gasped as they stared at Percy. The others just shook their heads, used to Percy upsetting the gods.
"Be careful of what you say, boy," Zeus glared.
"Can't take the truth," Poseidon taunted once he got over the shock of what his son had said. If this was how he acted, he really did want to know how Percy was still among the living.
"It is nowhere near the truth," Zeus growled.
"I think it's the truth for all the gods," Percy whispered to Hazel and Frank, both snorted and shook their heads. They had a task ahead of them if they were going to keep Percy alive.
Chiron and Grover glanced ... Lord of the Sky."
"The useless satyr agrees with me," Zeus declared.
"Hey, I'm not useless," Grover protested.
"Nowhere near it, G-Man," Percy grinned.
"Perhaps paranoid," Chiron suggested. ... remember question thirty-eight.
"That is asking rather a lot," Jason said.
"Especially for Prissy," Clarisse put in.
"Let's see you try it," Percy challenged.
"I didn't take the test, Kelp Head," Clarisse shot back.
"I think we can all agree it would be hard," Rachel said, rolling her eyes. "No sense fighting over it."
"Fine, let's just get this chapter over with," Clarisse growled.
How could anyone ... getting busted.
"We can teach you," Travis piped up.
"By the time you're done with our super special theft training, you'll be able to nick the whole pizza," Connor said.
"Thanks, but I don't need to worry about that anymore," Percy said, grinning at the brothers.
"Besides," Annabeth put in. "At this point, he's probably as good a thief as either of you."
"Fair point," Connor said, nodding.
Poseidon frowned. Were they really referring to the fact that his son stole things?
Chiron was waiting for an answer.
"It's gonna be a long wait," Clarisse said.
"Hey," Percy complained.
"Well, did you remember?" Clarisse shot back.
"Read and find out," Percy said smugly.
"Something about a golden ... better ruler, right?"
"You actually remembered?" Nico's mouth fell open.
"Considering it was the only test he studied for, I would hope he remembered," Athena said sourly. It still stung that the boy didn't take his education seriously.
Percy shrugged. "It was an interesting story."
"It's a horrible story," Zeus said, pouting on his throne as he remembered that time.
"Oh, come now dear, it wasn't that bad," Hera said.
"He turned everyone against me!" Zeus cried out, pointing a finger at Poseidon.
"Oh please," Poseidon said. "It was your viperous wife that came up with the plan."
"Viperous!?" Hera shrieked, glaring at Poseidon.
"You are viperous," Hephaestus mumbled as he fiddled with his nuts and bolts.
"How dare you?" Hera said, standing up.
"What are you going to do? Throw me off Olympus," Hephaestus asked, not even looking up at his mother.
Ares snorted. "She tried that. Didn't work too well."
"She could always curse us with cows following us," Poseidon said sarcastically.
"Cause that's so scary," Annabeth rolled her eyes, earning strange looks from those that didn't know Hera had cursed her with that curse.
"How did this get on you?" Zeus demanded of his wife. "We were talking about me."
"Not everything is about you," Hades said, rolling his eyes.
"I'm reading now!" Clarisse declared, and, ignoring the looks of shock, anger, and surprise on the gods' and goddesses' faces, continued with the book.
"Correct," Chiron said. ... at the accusation.
"Of course I take offense," Poseidon said, glaring at Zeus. "Do you really think I want your stupid master bolt?"
"Yes," Zeus said, gripping said bolt. "And it's not stupid."
"Sure it is," Hades said.
"Yours is stupider," Zeus shot back.
"HA!" Poseidon laughed. "You admit its stupid!"
"Why do they act like three year olds?" Hazel muttered, sinking down as she watched her father's Greek aspect argue with the gods.
Percy chuckled. "Rather have them like this than discussing how to kill me," he said.
"You say that as if they've done that before," Frank noted.
"They have," Thalia stated drily, having overheard the conversation.
"How come you can say that?" Percy asked. "It's in the book, after all."
Thalia shrugged. "Ask Hypnos, he's the one who decides all this."
"True," Percy said. "But I'd rather just send him packing, next time I see him."
"You and me both punk," Clarisse said, glaring at the still arguing gods before shouting out the next lines of the book.
The two have been ... twist in your toga?"
"Twist in your toga," Connor laughed out loud.
"Oh gods," Travis said, clutching his sides. "Toga!"
"Who even wears togas anyways," Chris chuckled.
Hazel, Frank, and Jason shifted uncomfortably.
"They look like bed sheets," Percy said, trying to keep a straight face. It was no use and soon he dissolved into laughter.
"Hard to walk in, too," Jason muttered darkly.
"You've worn one!" Leo had heard, and decided to announce it to the world, much to Jason's annoyance. "Why?"
The gods eyed the demigods closely. Why would a Greek be wearing a toga? Jason, noticing the stares, shifted uncomfortable.
"Maybe we should just read," he suggested, leaving it at that.
"But I didn't do anything. ... two brothers see sense.
"That is quite impossible when they are in one of their moods," Hestia said sadly as she poked at the fire.
Poseidon and Zeus flinched guiltily as they looked at their sister.
"We're not that bad," Zeus spoke.
"Yes, you are," Demeter said, annoyed.
"Neither of you will listen to reason," Hera added.
"Neither of them will listen, period," Demeter said.
Poseidon and Zeus frowned at this.
"It's all his fault," Poseidon said at last. "He's the drama queen."
"So not true," Zeus growled. "You're the one with the grudge holding capabilities of a love scorned female."
"You would know, wouldn't you," Hera spat.
"Enough!" Hades shouted. "Let us read, this chapter is taking much too long."
"I'll agree with you there," Clarisse muttered.
But your arrival ... "Bad?" I guessed.
"It would be a bloodbath," Athena said, looking pale at the idea.
"The end of this silly little American continent," Dionysus added.
"Which would be sad, I suppose," Ares said. "What?" he asked when everyone stared at him. "After the fighting, of course it would be sad. This is the greatest place since Sparta."
"He really believes that, doesn't he?" Annabeth commented.
"Strangely enough," Percy said, both ignoring the strange looks their friends were giving them, except for Grover.
"And he has really weird reasons as to why," Grover added, shaking his head.
"Imagine the world ... water-balloon fight."
"Awesome," Ares grinned.
"It wouldn't be that bad," Zeus said, glancing at Poseidon. "Actually, yes, I could see that."
"Then it's your fault," Poseidon said.
"You had my master bolt stolen," Zeus complained.
"I did not!" Poseidon cried. "And it's insulting to hear you say that. I demand an apology!"
"Isn't this what got the whole thing started in the first place?" Clarisse asked the other demigods.
"Yes," they chorused.
"Great," Clarisse said. "Well, no sense waiting for them to argue it out."
"Bad," I repeated.
"And you, Percy Jackson, would be the first to feel Zeus's wrath."
"Right there," Zeus said, still glaring at Poseidon. The reading may have put the argument on hold, but it was still on.
"He didn't do anything," Poseidon said, glaring right back at his younger brother. Maybe he did deserve to have his master bolt stolen again. Maybe then he wouldn't be so pigheaded.
"How am I supposed to know that?" Zeus asked.
"I don't know, reason?" Hades said idly.
"Like he's one to talk," Annabeth groaned.
"Some how, that doesn't sound like it's a good thing," Hazel said, frowning at her father.
"It's not," Percy said, grinning.
"Just how many gods hate you?" Frank asked.
Percy thought a minute. "Well, I wouldn't say they hate me, just…they'd like to see me dead."
"That didn't answer the question," Jason pointed out.
"I think the count is up to seven or eight," Annabeth said. "Although I can never be sure anymore."
"Seven or eight what?" Athena asked, tuning into the demigods' conversation. This drew the attention of all the other gods.
"Nothing," Percy said.
"Right, cause having seven or eight gods what to see you dead is nothing," Piper muttered as Clarisse continued to read.
It started to ... silence at the sky.
"Impossible," Dionysus said, frowning at the book.
"It rained?" Apollo asked, sounding incredulous.
"It rained," the demigods who had been there chorused.
The gods sat in silence for a while, all eyes turning to Zeus and Poseidon, both of whom were frowning.
"It can't be that weird, can it?" Hazel finally asked, breaking the silence.
"It is," Jason said. He hadn't been at Camp Half-Blood for a long time, but even he think it strange to see it rain.
I had brought ... I was furious.
"It's always your temper, isn't it?" Annabeth asked her boyfriend. Percy looked over at her and grinned, shrugging.
"Poseidon's brood always have horrible tempers," Persephone said.
"It's because they don't get enough cereal," Demeter said.
"It has nothing to do with that," Poseidon said, a slight smile on his face, which was surprising to just about everyone.
"No it does not," Percy said, an understanding passing between father and son concerning the nature of the sea and changing of the tides.
Demeter harrumphed at that, folding her arms over her chest. "Cereal can fix a lot of problems," she mumbled, but no one listened to her.
"So I have to find the stupid bolt,"
"Watch yourself, boy," Zeus growled.
"Yes sir," Percy said, although it sounded no where near sincere.
He truly is my brother's son, Zeus sighed. I do not think this bodes well for us.
I said. "And return it ... where is the thing?"
"Yes, where is it, then?" Hermes asked, leaning forward.
"Think about it," Athena said.
Hermes turned to Apollo, who shrugged. "I got nothing," Hermes said, turning back to Athena.
"Boys," Artemis sighed, shaking her head.
"What? Where is it?" Apollo asked, looking at his sister. "Do you know?"
"How about we read and find out," Ares growled.
"I believe I know." ... counsel of the Oracle."
"Wait, what prophecy?" Demeter said, frowning.
"Shhhhh," Apollo hissed. "My Oracle is coming up."
"Well, sorry for asking a relevant questions," Demeter huffed.
"Shhhhh," Apollo shushed her again, turning expectantly to Clarisse.
"Why can't you ... accept the challenge."
"That's comforting," Poseidon said. He had an inkling of where his son was going to have to go, and he didn't like it one bit.
"Your father's right there," Frank said.
"Oh, it wasn't so bad," Percy said.
"And it's not like he didn't go back," Annabeth muttered so quietly only Thalia, who was sitting right next to her, heard.
I swallowed. "Good reason."
"Yeah, good reason," Travis said.
"Very good reason," Connor added.
"Just not good motivation to accept the quest," Chris said.
"Not at all," Will said, wondering why in the world Percy would agree to a quest when told he would be too scared to accept it if he knew what it was in the first place.
"You agree then?" ... Zeus wanted to kill.
"Sorry," Grover said.
Percy laughed. "It actually helped me decide to do it, even if Zeus wanted to kill me."
"I still might," Zeus mumbled.
"That wouldn't be a very smart idea," Thalia said quietly, although everyone could hear her.
"All right," I said. ... we will talk more."
"Assuming you're still sane?" Piper asked.
"As in, people have gone insane?" Leo put in.
"Prophesies are tricky things," Apollo said wisely, before cracking a smile. "Not everyone can handle th–OW!"
"Stop acting wise," Artemis demanded, settling back in her throne once more as her brother rubbed the back of his head. "It doesn't suit you."
"Did you have to smack so hard?" Apollo whined.
"Idiot," Artemis replied, a small smile curving at the corner of her mouth.
Four flights up, the ... HYDRA HEAD #1, WOODSTOCK, N.Y., 1969.
"So that's where all the forgotten trophies go," Connor said.
"I always did wonder," Travis said.
"But I never wanted to go up there," Connor said.
"What with the oracle," Travis nodded.
"But now," the two chorused together.
"What are they planning?" Hazel asked, looking at the two.
"No idea," Percy said, a grin on his face.
"But I want in," Will and Chris chorused, causing Hermes and Apollo to smile proudly at their sons.
By the window, ... a long, long time.
"That's creepy," Piper said, shuddering. "No wonder people go insane."
Jason frowned as his girlfriend before pulling her closer to him, rubbing a hand up her arm.
"You haven't seen the half of it," Clarisse muttered, thinking back to her own time spent with the oracle. It had not been pleasant.
"Really glad we have you, now," Annabeth whispered to Rachel.
"You sure getting rid of the mummy is the only reason you're glad I'm here?" Rachel whispered back, grinning.
Annabeth blushed as her gaze traveled to Percy. "Maybe not the only reason," she said softly, causing Rachel and Thalia to laugh.
Looking at her sent chills ... looking for the bathroom.
"Yeah, I'd say that too," Leo said, shuddering at the thought of facing something like that. All the monsters he had faced with Jason and Piper paled in comparison to having an ugly, old mummy start talking to you.
"It wouldn't work though," Apollo said, eyes gleaming. "My oracle knows when someone needs to hear a prophesy. She wouldn't have let him leave until he heard it."
"Or she'd track him down and corner him," Thalia muttered.
But I forced myself to ... in killing me, either.
The group frowned at the mention of the Three Fates, all eyes flickering over to Percy, as if checking to make sure he was still there. Annabeth reached out and gripped Thalia's hand and her friend returned the grip with what she hoped was a friendly squeeze.
Percy met Annabeth's eyes and offered a small smile, that faded as soon as she looked down. He hated not being able to tell her what the Three Fates had shown him. Hated that everybody now thought he was going to drop dead at any moment.
I got up the courage to ask, "What is my destiny?"
"Way to be dramatic," Clarisse said, trying to lighten to mood after the mention of the Fates.
"What else was I supposed to say?" Percy asked as the demigods snickered at him.
"Hmmm, how about, 'Will I retrieve Zeus's master bolt?'" Clarisse shot back.
"Well, I," Percy began, but huffed. He had to admit he hadn't thought of asking something like that. He just wanted to know what was going to happen to him.
The mist swirled ... Gabe and his buddies.
"Of all the things to show him!" Poseidon shouted, rounding on Apollo. "Why would your oracle show him that?"
"I don't control what she does," Apollo said, shrinking into his throne slightly.
"Well, you should," Poseidon huffed. He didn't like the fact that his son had to be reminded of his stepfather, if he even deserved that title. Which Poseidon was sure he did not.
My fists clenched, ... god who has turned.
"The god who has turned?" Athena repeated.
"West?" Zeus and Poseidon chorused, turning their gazes on Hades.
"What?" Hades asked, although he had a sinking suspicion that they thought the prophesy was referring to him. He was pretty sure it wasn't though, right?
His buddy on the ... see it safely returned.
"Thank goodness for that," Zeus said, letting out an exhale of relief that his master bolt would be returned to him.
The guy on the ... calls you a friend.
Annabeth frowned at this. Percy had never mentioned the rest of his prophesy to her, and she had never bothered to ask about it. But now she wondered if she would have been brave enough to venture on a quest with friends after being told he would be betrayed by one.
"That doesn't sound good, does it?" Jason asked.
Finally, Eddie, ... in the end.
"Not good at all," Piper whispered, glancing at Percy and wondering just what it is he failed to save, and who betrayed him.
The figures began ... learn anything else.
"You wouldn't," Apollo said. "That's the way of pro-OW!"
"I told you to stop acting wise," Artemis said.
"I can act wise if I want!" Apollo pouted. "After all, it's my oracle."
"And she's completely horrible," Poseidon declared, not liking the prophesy his son had been given one bit.
"I think that was a fine prophesy," Zeus said.
"Because the only thing you care about is your master bolt," Dionysus pointed out as he continued to flip through his magazine.
"What in the world is so entertaining to him in that?" Katie asked her boyfriend.
"I could steal it and find out," Travis answered.
"You wouldn't dare, Tanner," Dionysus said, glaring over the top.
"Nope, not at all," Travis squeaked, sinking down in his seat.
My audience with ... "This is important."
"Often times her prophesies do have a double meaning," Apollo mused. "Although I don't think being betrayed by a friend is much of a double meaning."
"Nor does failing to save what matters most," Poseidon said dryly.
Apollo grinned. "Should be interesting to see how it all plays out."
My ears were still ... have that many.
"Yet," every demigod, including those who had yet to meet Percy in the waking world, chorused.
"Prissy, you've got more friends than anyone I've ever met," Clarisse said.
Percy shrugged. "I didn't, at the time."
And the last line- ... way, you'll fail.
"My point exactly," Poseidon said, glaring at Apollo.
"Hey, I don't control the prophesies," Apollo said. "I don't even know what they mean until they come to pass. Or have you forgotten the Great Prophesy?"
"Nobody could forget that," Hades said darkly, thinking about how it had ruined everything.
"What is this Great Prophesy?" Hazel asked.
"You'll find out eventually," Percy replied with a sigh.
How could I confess ... until events come to pass."
"Aaaaannnnnd Chiron knows you're hiding something," Connor and Travis chorused.
"He always does," Chris put in.
"Even when you're as good at lying as we are," all three said.
"Don't feel bad, boys," Hermes said. "He's had years of practice."
"Years and years and years," Apollo said.
I got the feeling ... who stands to gain?"
"Not me!" Hades shouted as every eye turned on him.
"Are you sure?" Zeus asked, narrowing his eyes. "You don't know what you'll be thinking in the coming years."
"My realm is already overcongested," Hades said. "Like I need any more subjects."
"We shall see," Zeus said, waving imperiously for Clarisse to keep reading.
"Somebody else who ... them have now broken."
"The evidence is piling up against you, brother," Poseidon said. It did make an awful sort of sense to him, what Chiron was saying.
"My husband would do no such thing," Persephone sniffed. "And even if he did, you both would deserve it! Breaking the oath like you did."
"Who's to say he hasn't broken it as well?" Zeus demanded. "Seems to me its more than likely."
"I would never," Hades said. "I know what comes of breaking an oath made on the River Styx. More so than either of you."
"You are not endearing us to your case, brother," Poseidon growled.
Clarisse rolled her eyes and started reading before she had to listen to any more pointless bickering from the gods.
I thought about ... ground. "Hades."
"Even the boy agrees with us," Zeus said, glaring at the oldest brother.
"It's not me!" Hades snapped.
"All the facts point to you, uncle," Athena said shrewdly.
"That doesn't mean it's me," Hades said.
"Of course not," Demeter said, rolling her eyes. "But I wouldn't put it past you. You tend to steal things."
"I'm not a thing, mother," Persephone complained.
"Enough," Poseidon said, quieting the bickering. "The only way we will know for certain who the real thief is is if we continue reading."
"Like we haven't heard that before," Ares grumbled.
"I thought you were asleep," Apollo said, looking at him curiously.
"I was, wake me when there's action."
Chiron nodded. ... "Whoa, wait. Wh-what?"
"Not what you wanted to hear?" Nico snickered.
"Not exactly," Grover said distastefully. "Satyrs and being underground aren't a good combination."
"You've done it plenty of times though," Annabeth pointed out to him.
"I didn't enjoy it," Grover said, although he realized that wasn't the complete truth. He had enjoyed his adventures with Percy and Annabeth. Even if they had involved going underground. And he had found Pan underground, so perhaps it wasn't all bad.
"A Fury came after ... one lord: Hades."
"That's right," Poseidon glared at his older brother. "They only obey you."
Hades sighed. He couldn't deny it; Alecto had been there on his orders, although he didn't understand why.
"Yes, but-but ... a son of Poseidon…"
"Yes, see," Hades said. "Perhaps I was just mad that you had broken the oath. After all, I sent monsters after Zeus's daughter too."
"You don't want to be bringing that up," Zeus growled.
"And you sent your Fury after my son before you knew who he was," Poseidon mumbled.
"A hellhound got ... take on the quest."
Poseidon continued to glare at Hades, who was studiously avoiding said glare. He really didn't think he would have stolen the master bolt, but given the evidence, might it have been possible?
"No, I wouldn't have done it," Hades said.
"It's amazing how sure of himself he is," Jason muttered. "He doesn't know what will happen in the future.
True, Percy thought. But for once, Hades is right. He didn't do it.
"Great," I muttered. "That's two major gods who want to kill me."
Thalia snorted at that, causing many others to look her way.
"What?" she asked. "You have to appreciate the irony in that statement."
Annabeth grinned, shooting a look at her boyfriend, who was rolling his eyes.
"No?" Thalia asked, when no one else reacted. "Well, whatever. I thought that statement was funny."
"But a quest to … this time of year."
"I think we all wish that about our quests," Jason said, thinking back to his own adventure.
"If only they could be as simple as a trip to Maine," Leo sighed dramatically.
"Oh, stop it," Piper smacked both Leo and Jason. "Can't you see he's terrified of the idea?"
"Thanks," Grover said dryly, a bright red blush staining his face. "That makes me feel so much better."
"Hades sent a ... reveal the truth."
"So, no big deal," Travis said.
"Just a simple trip to the Underworld," Connor said.
"To confront the Lord of the Dead," Chris added.
"And retrieve the most powerful weapon in existence," Will put in.
"Yep, no biggie," Travis finished.
"Ha!" Thalia declared. "Even they admit it's the most powerful weapon."
"Please," Percy said, rolling his eyes.
"Is not," Nico said at the same time.
"Not this again," Annabeth groaned, stopping Thalia from retaliating.
"Later," Thalia said, narrowing her eyes at the boys.
A strange fire ... in the Underworld …
Nico sighed, frowning slightly. He knew exactly how Percy felt. And he realized just how foolish he had been to ignore Percy's advice and offered help in the beginning.
He found himself wondering just how his life would be right now had he not blamed Percy for Bianca's death. Surely he wouldn't be quite the outcast he found himself as. Of course, he also wouldn't know about the Roman camp, or have rescued Hazel.
Whoa, boy, ... Hades is a god.
"That's right," Hades said, glaring at Percy. "As if I could ever lose to a mere mortal."
Nico pressed his lips together to keep from laughing. Percy was busy mouthing something to Annabeth, and hadn't heard what Hades had said. Of course, his inattention to the God of the Underworld did not sit right with Hades, who grumbled.
Everyone watched as some form of silent communication passed between Percy and Annabeth until they noticed they were being watched, that is.
"Sorry, what did you say?" Percy asked, pulling his gaze from his girlfriend.
"Prissy," Clarisse mumbled, rolling her eyes and not giving anyone a chance to answer his question.
Grover was trembling. ... This was suicide.
"So, basically, par for the core, right?" Travis said.
"Right," Connor nodded.
"Do you even know what that means?" Katie asked, shaking her head at the boys.
"Uhhh," both boys hesitated.
"It means," Annabeth began.
"We don't care," Travis and Connor chorused, cutting her off.
Annabeth huffed in annoyance, causing Athena to smile at her daughter. She did the exact same thing when someone denied letting her explain something.
"Look, if we know ... bust some heads."
"Because, there must be proof if you are to go accusing a god of something," Athena said.
"But Zeus accused Poseidon without proof," Hermes pointed out.
"That's different," Zeus said.
"How?" Apollo asked.
"Zeus is a god," Artemis said, rolling her eyes. "And the boy here is only a demigod. Honestly, don't you understand anything?"
"I still don't get it," Hermes and Apollo stated, while several of the demigods nodded in agreement.
"It's call-" Athena began.
"Never mind!" Apollo and Hermes declared, covering their ears. Athena huffed in much the same fashion her daughter had.
"Suspecting and knowing ... operate through humans?"
"Yeah, they're quite useful," Ares grinned.
"Plus they have the most tragic love stories," Aphrodite sighed.
"So glad to know we're loved," Chris mumbled.
Clarisse frowned. She knew it was just this kind of thinking that caused Chris to join Luke in the first place. She squeezed his hand and he smiled at her.
"You're saying I'm being used."
Poseidon frowned. When it was put like that, it sounded horrible. But he couldn't deny he needed his son's help. Or he would need his son's help, when the events in this book took place.
"I'm saying its no ... Now suddenly he needed me.
"That's," Poseidon began, but didn't know what to say to that.
Percy sighed, realizing how much those thoughts had hurt his dad, even if he wasn't showing it. "I know, dad," Percy said. "I just didn't understand the rules at first."
"I still don't understand the rules," Will said.
"Yeah, why can't you guys say hi to us from time to time?" Connor added.
"Woulda saved us a heck of a lot of trouble," Travis mumbled.
"It's the way it has to be," Zeus said, not really explaining things in any way whatsoever.
"Cause that's so insightful," Clarisse grunted.
I looked at ... haven't you?"
"Yes," all the campers familiar with Chiron chorused.
"I had my suspicions. ... "That's about right."
"Sounds easy," Leo said cheerfully.
"Except for the Underworld," Piper said.
"And confronting Hades," Hazel added.
"And carrying back the most powerful weapon in the universe," Thalia said, grinning like crazy. She so knew Percy knew the lightning bolt was the most powerful, and now she had proof. He had even called it so.
"And the time limit," Frank said.
"Ten days is plenty of time," Jason said, thinking of his own quest and the short amount of time they had had.
"Yeah," Annabeth said, frowning. "Plenty of time."
Poseidon and Athena didn't like the way she said that, as if their ten days wasn't really ten days.
I looked at Grover, who gulped down the ace of hearts.
"You satyrs have the strangest eating habits," Dionysus remarked.
"I can't tell if he's really paying attention," Apollo said, staring at the magazine that hid Dionysus from view.
"Or if he just makes random comments on occasion," Hermes finished.
"Did I mention ... I won't let you down."
"Of course I would be serious about it," Percy said, grinning at Grover. "You are my best friend."
"Thanks," Grover said. "You're mine too."
I felt so relieved I wanted to cry, though I didn't think that would be very heroic.
"Not in the least, wimp," Ares grumbled, cracking his eyes open to look at Percy. "Heroes don't cry."
"That's not true!" Aphrodite exclaimed. "Girls like a man that can show emotion."
"Whatever," Ares grunted, closing his eyes again.
Grover was the only ... just get on a plane-"
"Yes, please do," Zeus said, earning a glare from his brother. "I would enjoy that very much."
"Brother," Poseidon growled.
"What?" Zeus asked innocently.
Poseidon sighed. He knew he had no say as to what his brother did in his domain. He just wished his brothers had the same decency he had when it came to their children in his domain. He certainly didn't go drowning every demigod with a parent he was at odds with.
"No!" Grover shrieked. ... in a plane crash.
"That's so sad," Aphrodite declared, glaring at her father.
"What?" Zeus asked again, this time defensively. "It's not like I knew who they were."
"No, but I bet you're glad you did it," Poseidon grumbled.
"Percy, think," Chiron ... accept her help."
"Her help?" Aphrodite asked, a knowing smiled on her face.
"Please tell me you didn't," Athena said, turning to her daughter.
Annabeth shrugged.
"Gee," I said, feigning ... into her back pocket.
"Were you standing there the whole time?" Percy asked. It was something he had always wanted to know, but he had never been able to bring it up.
"Maybe," Annabeth replied.
"That's creepy," Travis said.
"And stalkerish," Connor put in.
Annabeth shrugged. "I'd been waiting a long time for a quest. I wasn't about to let the opportunity pass me by."
"I've been waiting ... from messing up."
"And there's the foundation of their relationship," Thalia said, grinning.
"You have no idea," Annabeth and Percy said together.
"Eerie," Travis and Connor chorused.
"Like you're ones to talk?" Katie pointed out.
Annabeth smiled slightly, but something had just occurred to her. Throughout all there adventures, she had been around to keep Percy out of trouble, minus the time she had been kidnapped. Who would keep him out of trouble now that she was no longer there? She glanced at the two people Percy was wedged between. I hope they're up to the task, she thought.
"If you do say ... think you should all get packing."
"Finally," Clarisse groaned, closing the book. "That took FOREVER!"
"But it was nice," Percy said. "Considering no one got blown up."
"Or hosed down," Annabeth said.
"Or poisoned," Nico put in.
"Or stretched to death," Grover added.
"If this is what we have to look forward to, I don't want to read anymore," Poseidon muttered.
